By Lightning storms on the north horizon. The fire watch is on. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.
Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.
Campfire steak. Salt, pepper, fire. The whole point.
The week held. The work continues.
A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.
Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.
Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.
Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.
The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.
Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.
A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.
Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.
Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.
Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.
The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.
Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.
The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.
Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.
Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.
Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.
The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.
Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.
Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.
The campfire steak this week was salt, pepper, and fire — and honestly, that’s still the whole point. But when I have a few extra minutes in the shop or the kitchen, I put together a batch of this ranch seasoning mix to keep on the shelf, because it does the work on everything from steak to eggs to whatever I throw on the grate after a long day of cattle work. Patrick would’ve approved. It’s the kind of thing you make once and stop thinking about, which is exactly where I want my kitchen to be.
Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 5 min | Servings: About 1/2 cup (roughly 8 tablespoon-sized servings)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Combine. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed throughout.
- Taste and adjust. Pinch a small amount and taste. Add more salt or pepper to your preference. This is your mix — make it yours.
- Store. Transfer to a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label it if you have other jars on the shelf. Store at room temperature away from direct heat and light.
- Use it. Rub generously onto steak before it hits the fire, stir into butter for a basting sauce, shake over eggs, or mix with sour cream for a quick dip. One tablespoon per pound of meat is a solid starting point for campfire steak.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 12 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 290mg